Doña Ana County Manager Fernando R. Macias announced the appointment of Bryan Baker as Director of the Doña Ana County Detention Center.
Since March, Baker served as interim director of the Detention Center, following the departure of the former director, Daniel Peters.
“As an interim director, Bryan demonstrated his leadership and operational capabilities as he immediately faced the unprecedented challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Macias said. “He quickly implemented a variety of initiatives to help mitigate the spread of the virus within the center, including frequently disinfecting high-traffic areas, engaging medical staff to start an infection control program and defining a quarantine area for new arrivals. He has clearly earned this appointment.”
Baker joined the Detention Center as a cadet in June 2001. Throughout his tenure, he has worked in every area of the center. He was promoted to Sergeant in 2005 and Lieutenant in 2008, becoming a Captain in 2014. He earned a Jail Manager certification from the American Jail Association in 2016 and recertified in 2020, making him one of only three people with such a certification, in the state of New Mexico.
“The constant challenge we face in corrections is change. Change in personnel; change in technology and equipment; and change in best practices,” Baker said. “To remain at the forefront in our field, we continuously monitor for emerging legislation and best practices in managing both the adult and juvenile facilities.”
Baker holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting Degree from the University of Phoenix and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from New Mexico State University.
With an interest in organizational change and culture, he also earned a Master of Public Administration and Master of Arts in Sociology, both from NMSU.
For more information about Doña Ana County, please visit www.donaanacounty.org.
Information from Doña Ana County